Landmark social media addiction trial against Meta, TikTok, YouTube set to begin
Several major social media companies are facing a landmark trial in Los Angeles over claims their platforms cause harm and addiction in youth. Meta’s Instagram, ByteDance’s TikTok and Google’s YouTube will all be under the microscope in the coming weeks, with jury selection beginning this week.
The trial marks the companies’ first chance to argue their cases before a jury in a proceeding that could have ripple effects across the U.S.
The case
The trial process begins after one of the companies named in the lawsuit — Snapchat’s parent, Snap Inc. — settled for an undisclosed sum.
Jury selection is expected to last several days, the Associated Press reports, with about 75 potential jurors questioned each day.
According to the AP, the case centers on a 19-year-old woman identified as KGM who claims that her social media use from an early age addicted her to the technology and worsened her depression and suicidal thoughts.
The lawsuit alleges the platforms deliberately cause addiction by using specific design choices meant to increase engagement. That claim could set a new legal precedent for social media companies.
Currently, tech companies are protected from liability for material posted on their platforms by the First Amendment and Section 230. But if the plaintiffs succeed in arguing that tech companies intentionally designed their sites to be addictive, the platforms could face damages for harm done to children.
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Up to 95% of U.S. teens ages 13–17 report using at least one social media platform, with nearly half describing their usage as “almost constantly”.
“Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, Defendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the lawsuit says.
Tech platforms respond
In recent weeks, some tech companies — including Meta — have pushed back, disputing claims that their sites deliberately harm children. In a blog post, Meta said it has established safeguards over the years to protect young users and is not liable for content posted on its platforms.
Meta also said social media should not be singled out as the sole cause of teen mental health challenges.
“Clinicians and researchers find that mental health is a deeply complex and multifaceted issue, and trends regarding teens’ well-being aren’t clear-cut or universal,” the blog post reads. “Narrowing the challenges faced by teens to a single factor ignores the scientific research and the many stressors impacting young people today, like academic pressure, school safety, socio-economic challenges and substance abuse.”
Landmark case
Regardless of the outcome, the trial beginning this week marks a significant moment after years of debate over social media’s impact on youth well-being.
Both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden have argued that social media is exacerbating mental health issues, though those claims have been countered by research suggesting social media is not inherently harmful and calling for more research.
If the lawsuit is successful, platforms like Instagram and TikTok could face mandated design changes and expanded legal liability for potential harm to children. Some social media users named in the lawsuit could also receive compensation for harms they experienced.
Social media concerns globally
The U.S. is not the only country moving to restrict youth access to social media. In Australia, lawmakers passed a law banning anyone under 16 from using social media.
Under that law, companies must implement safeguards to prevent users under 16 from creating accounts or logging in. It’s a ban that many other countries are closely watching to see whether similar measures could be adopted.
On Tuesday, French lawmakers approved a bill banning social media for children under 15. The vote clears the way for the law to take effect at the start of the next school year in September.
“Banning social media for those under 15: this is what scientists recommend, and this is what the French people are overwhelmingly calling for,” French President Emmanuel Macron said after the vote. “Because our children’s brains are not for sale — neither to American platforms nor to Chinese networks. Because their dreams must not be dictated by algorithms.”
The British government is also considering banning young teens from social media.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
